Leeds Rhinos' busy Easter period begins on Thursday night with a West Yorkshire derby against in-form Huddersfield Giants. With injuries and woeful form casting a shadow over Jamie Jones-Buchanan's interim reign thus far, there are no shortage of talking points going into the first match of a period that could have major ramifications on Leeds' season.
The half-back dilemma
With no Aidan Sezer for the next month, Jones-Buchanan has an interesting decision to make, starting on Thursday night. The obvious temptation is to partner Liam Sutcliffe with Blake Austin in the halves, but Austin himself has hardly been irresistible since signing for Leeds.
Read more: Rugby league players union to hold talks over removal of double-header weekends in 2023
So there may be a dilemma or two in the halves for the interim Rhinos coach. One potential option is Kruise Leeming, who performed commendably at half-back at times throughout 2021 and, without being too over the top, even looked at home in the role on occasions. He has shown his worth in the halves and could be one option, and as Easter rolls on and players begin to fatigue, who knows how close someone like Jack Sinfield is to a competitive debut. Thursday will give Leeds fans the first clues as to who will be entrusted in the half-back roles ahead of a chaotic few days.
Home comforts
It's barely believable given the stature and reputation of the club, but on Thursday, Leeds will be looking to score their first points in the first half of a home game for four matches. In their last three games at Headingley, the Rhinos have gone into the changing rooms at the break without a single point to their name. That is, to put it mildly, not good enough.
Overturning some of the apathy from the terraces towards a squad that are clearly underperforming will be high on Jones-Buchanan's wish list for the next few games. That starts on Thursday against a Huddersfield side who arrive in Leeds undoubted favourites to inflict more misery on the Rhinos, but if Leeds can at least get off to a strong start, it will put them in a position which, based on recent home matches, is certainly unfamiliar.
A seismic few days
Leeds Rhinos could end the first half of the Easter weekend bottom of the Super League table. That in itself is a sentence which beggars belief. For some, Easter is still a fraction too early to take any notice of the ladder but the facts are that after Thursday's game, the Rhinos will have played almost a third of their matches. Jones-Buchanan did not hide away from the enormity of the match with the Giants, insisting that every game is now like a Grand Final in terms of magnitude and importance.
Rhinos fans will want to see an improved performance without question on Thursday, but given how we are now in mid-April, there has to be a point where performances take less of a priority over results. That moment is fast approaching on the horizon and if Leeds are still in trouble come the end of the busy Easter period, there will be some serious concerns developing among some fans about just how precariously real a situation the Rhinos find themselves in.
